Letters to editor in Naples Daily News Saturday, July 20, 2019

'Camouflaging' racism?

Three recent letters defended President Trump against the charge of racism.

One argued that the president is not racist because he insulted only 10 percent of women of color in the House. Relying on the same logic, anyone who kills a single individual in a full movie house is not a murderer, and anyone who burglarizes only one unit in a high-rise is not a thief.

Instead of camouflaging it, racism needs to be unmasked and called for what it is.

Michael Rubner, North Naples

Silence of GOP in Congress

Sen. Rubio, Sen. Scott and Rep. Rooney, why were you silent, and why did you not immediately condemn the racist comments of President Trump last weekend regarding the four minority women of the Democratic Party?

If you had minority daughters and granddaughters, or minority sons and grandsons, how would you feel and what would you tell them? If you had eight of those young Americans, human beings like you and me deserving equal respect, who were your granddaughters and grandsons like I have, would you tell them to go back to the disgusting places they came from?

Isn't America a place where all women and men, all girls and boys are created and treated equally? And don't we see all girls and boys, all women and men in the world as created and treated equally? Does not God see all boys and girls, all women and men, created and treated equally?

William Coughlan, East Naples

The economy under Trump

It was 981 days ago that the Democrats first started talking and planning to impeach the duly elected president of the United States, Donald J Trump.

In case you're not sure of that date, it was Election Day, Nov. 8, 2016 .

It's time to get in step with the majority of legal US citizens who are happy with the economy, low unemployment, lower taxes and regulations and work with the president to continue making America great again. Stop whining about the election.

Democrats lost; get over it and get on with doing some constructive work in Congress to further benefit this great nation.

Donald Sporn, Naples

Trump's tweets, the left's outrage

Here we go again with more feigned outrage calling President Trump a racist because of recent tweets about "The Squad" ("Trump 'racist,' lawmakers silent," Mailbag 7/17).

The contributor wanted to know where Marco Rubio and Francis Rooney stood on this issue because their silence must mean they agree with Mr. Trump.

Where was the outrage from the left when Rashida Tlaib soon after being elected called the president something so vile it couldn't be repeated here?

Where was the outrage from the left when members of the Trump administration were harassed and forced out of restaurants ?

Where was the outrage from the left over the treatment of Judge Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court nomination hearings?

Where was the outrage from the left when a conservative reporter was beaten up by Antifa and suffered a brain hemorrage a few weeks ago ?

Where was the outrage from the left when an Antifa member tried to blow up an ICE detention center in Tacoma last week?

I dare any of the MSNBC or CNN viewers out there to show me one broadcast, just one, where any of the above incidents were condemned. Are those crickets I hear?

Rick Manuel, North Fort Myers

The chant at Trump's rally

"Prejudice is a learned trait. You're not born prejudiced; you're taught it."

This quote from Charles R. Swindell came to mind as I watched the Trump rally the other night as the crowd chanted "send her back."

I noticed many children in the crowd who looked confused, but the adults soon taught them the chant. Parents teach your children conservative principles like respect for others and the ability to think for themselves. Do not let them become part of a mindless crowd yelling racists chants.

Look at other countries in history who allowed themselves to be drawn into this kind of behavior and the outcomes were usually tragic.

Pat Farrell, Fort Myers Beach

Suggestions for political civility

Recent letters to the Mailbag are representative of a faulty thought pattern on the part of the writers. Regardless of their political persuasion, the writer begins by bemoaning the lack of civility in our nation's discourse, and the division of the country into antagonistic groups that can't seem to get along with each other.

In Step Two, the author proceeds to name and/or point his or her finger at the opposition and blame them for the whole mess. Logical? Not really.

I'd like to see our politicians and letter writers suggest a positive solution (or two) to this problem. A good start would be for someone to admit that their own side of the aisle has contributed to the problem, and to suggest that those they agree with tone down the rhetoric. Any takers?